Convertible automobile-body construction



. c. n. WILLIAMS.

CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOBILE BODY CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-22, 1919.

1 ,3-77, 1 66, Patented May 3, 1921.

V H v INVENTOR H? W! f i Clzarlesflavzdmilz'ame.

ATTORNEY v 'To all whom it may concern:

co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 71,516

UNITED srarss CHARLES DAVID'WILLIAMs, ornnw YORK, Ivar, nssrenoa 'roABMs-W A retrace.

MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. r

CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOBILE-BODY CONSTRUCTION.

1,377,166. Original application filed January 11,

' Be it known that I, CHAR ES DA ID WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and

a resident. of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of NewYork'and 'Stateof New Yorlqhave invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Convertible Automobile Body Constructions, of

which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my prior filed January 11, 1916, andthe present invention is an improvement on the general type. ofconstruction shown in my prior Patents 1,151,314; and 1,151,315 issuedAugust 24, 1915. These patents cover body con structions in which panelswith rigid frames and transparent body portions are detachably securedto theu'pper edge of'the vehicle 1 top and thuspermit of the convertingof the body from an open touring-car type to body wall sections toextendto thecvehicle a'closedor limousinetype at will.;

The'object of my present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive,and easily applied and operated means for rigidly but detachablysecuring the panels in place, permitting-their easy and quick-removal,and presenting an attractive appearance both when the panels are in,place and when removed. p v 7 Each panel corresponds in a general way ito the widthof a corresponding stationary or movable body wallsectionandfi's provided with a lurality of depending lugs by 'means of wich the panel is detachably se cured in place. Bymeansof my invention,Iprovide each body wall section with correspondingspaced sockets withinwhich'the lugs may be clamped so that the panel will be effectivelysecured and held against rattling. Although myinvention may as sumevarious different specific forms,I- have illustrated but one in thepresent applicavtion and thisis in the formof a molding strip adapted tobe secured to the upper edge of the body'wall section. As an im-'portant feature of thisform, the'molding strip may be made up in longstripsand may be. cut -into sections of the desired "lengthcorrespondingtoithe length of the body wall sections to which they "areto be applied. As a' further important feature Iprovde a'clampng screwmountedto in- 7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921 1916, Serial No. 71,516. Divided and thisapplication filed August 22, 1919. Serial No. 319.057. V

I have illustrated my invention as. ap-

plied to a vehicle body having one or more statlonary wall sectlons 10and 'one or more movable. wall sectlonsor doors11, each beingprovidedwith its corresponding panel,

which includesa transparent body portion 12, a 'rigid frame 13, anddepending lugs 14. The completedbody wall section includes the usualwood frame 15, with an upper portion or strip 16, presentingsubstantially flat straight sides. In one vertlcal edge (preferably theouter one) of the str'ip16, there are cut recesses orsockets 17 spacedat'the properjdistanceapart and i of the proper sizev to receive thelugs 14 of the correspondlng panel. Secured to ,the'

surfaces of the strip 16, opposite to L the sockets 17,1s aclampcarrying member 18, havlng a threaded aperture receiving theclamping screw 19, which extends in a substantially horizontaldirectionv and when in" operative position, intersects the correspond ngsocket 17. For securing the socket carrylngmember 18 1n position andsidesof the latter, and of the socket 17.

for strengthening and reinforcing the wood [frame strip 16, I provideapairof screw" bolts 20 extendingsubstantially parallel to the clampingscrew 19and upon opposite For] anchoring the opposite ends,.a metal'strip21 extends along the side of the strip 16' opposite to [thestrip-18. Screw bolts 20 are ofa length substantially equalto the totalthicknessof the strips 16, 18, and 21, and their ends are threaded intothe' strip 21 so that when tightened,'they hold the structure together..Ifthe sockets 17 be I in the side surfaces of the strip 16, the

" anchoring strip 21 serves as a sidewall for the socketandagainstwhichthe clamping screw'may force the lug. If the sockets be signed andbuilt, the sockets or recesses out in the strip 16 intermediate of theside edges thereof, the strip 21 will obviously reinforce and back upthe portion of the strip 16 against which the lug is forced by theclamping screw. 1 V

The strip 16 may constitute an integral part of the original woodvframeof the body wall section and the strips 18 and 21 may be directlysecured to the outer sides thereof or portions may be cut away so thatthe strips 18 and 21 are embedded in the frame and thus do not projectbeyond the planes of the opposite sides of the door frame as indicatedat the lefthan'd side of Fi 3. The strips 16 may be made separate fromthe frame of the door and may have the strips 18 and 21 secured thereto,so as to make a molding strip and this complete strip may be secured tothe upper edge of thebody wall section in any suitable manner, as forinstance, by screws 22. Although these may be placed at any desiredpoints along the length of the molding strip, I find with a minimumnumber of screws that the greatest rigidity results from using a )air ofthese screws 22 for each socket 17 and placing them between the clampingscrew 19 and the transverse bolts 20. The

strip 16 preferably has an upstanding'ridge or bead 23 on its uppersurface along the inner sides of the sockets 17 so as to lie closelyadjacent to the inner surface of the frame of the panel and projectabove the ,.lower edge of the latter, and'thus aid in preventing rain orwind from heating under the edge of the panel.

The complete molding strip or the separate component parts 16, 18, and21 thereof, may be made up in long sections and may be cut to the lengthdesired when to be applied or assembled. The metal facing strips 18 and21 by extending the entire length of the molding strip, provide auniform attractive appearance and tend to reinforce or strengthen thestrip 16 but it will of course be evident that these strips 18 and 21might be madein shorter sections and each applied only along theportions adjacent to the sockets. The molding strip may be applied uponthe molding 'stI'ip already in place if the vehicle body have such, oras a substitute for the old molding upon the removal of the latter. Aspreviously indicated, where the invention is to be incorporated in thevehicle body at the time the latter is dewhich receive the dependinglugs of the panel may extend down into the wall rather than merely intothe molding. Ihe molding might be a plain fiat strip either secured toor extending over metal sockets set into 1 the :wall and the fasteningscrews 19 might extend through the wall itself rather than through themolding. so as to engage with and lock the lugs 14 and hold the panel inposition. The sockets may be cut'vertically or at any desired angle tothe vertical so as to tilt the panel and insure the proper engagement ofthe upper edge thereof with the vehicle top, although preferably theside edge of the strip 16 is planed at the desired angle before thestrip 21 is applled so as to ive the desired tilt to the panel.

l laving thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A convertible automobile body includingawall section, having a wooden frame presenting a lug receiving openingin the upper edge thereof, a reinforcing member secured to said frame atone side of said opening, a separate reinforcing member sevcured to theopposite side of said frame,

, resentin a lu receivin o enin in the upper edge thereof, areinforcingmember secured to said frame atone side of said opening, a reinforcingmember vsecured to said frame at the opposite side of said opening, andhaving a threaded passage therethrough, a clamping member extendingthrough said passage into said opening, and a pair of transverselyextending screw bolts for rigidly connecting said reinforcing membeIS. lI

3. A convertible automobile body, including a wall section having awooden frame presenting a lug receiving opening in the upper edgethereof, a pair of reinforcing strips upon opposite sides ofsaid frame,a pair of screw bolts extending through said frame and connecting saidreinforcing strips together, and a clamping screw extending through oneof said reinforcing strips and intersecting said lug receiving opening.

4:. A convertible automobile body, including a wall section having awooden frame presenting a lug receiving opening in the upper edgethereof, a member upon one side of said frame opposite to said" opening,a pair of anchoring bolts extending through said member and said frameupon opposite sides of said opening, and a clamping screwextendingthrough said member and intersecting said opening. I r Y.

5. A convertible automobile body, including a wall section, a removablepanel having depending lugs and a molding strip separate from said wallsection but secured to the upper edge thereof, and presenting socketsadapted to receive said lugs, said c molding strip including a woodstrip having sides, one of said reinforcing members carrying clampingscrews adapted to intersect said sockets.

6. A molding strip adapted to be secured to a vehicle body wall section,and including a wooden strip and a pair of metal reinforcing strips uponeach side thereof rigidly secured together, said wooden strip having lugreceiving apertures therein, and one of said reinforcing strips havingclamping screws intersecting said apertures.

7 A molding strip adapted to be secured to an automobile body wallsection, including a wooden strip having sockets in one side edgethereof, a reinforcing strip secured ing a wooden frame, having a lugreceiving socket in one side surface thereof, a reinforcing stripsecured to said surface and forming a side wall for said socket,areinforcing strip secured to the opposite side of said frame, meansupon opposite sides of said socket for securing said strips together,and a clamping screw intersecting said socket for forcing a panel lugagainst said first mentioned reinforcing strip.

9. An article of manufacture, a molding strip adapted to be secured tothe upper edge of an automobile body wall section, and having a pair ofvertically disposed lug receiving sockets,-and a pair of clamping screwscarried by said strip adapted to intersect said sockets to clamp panellugs therein.

Signed at New York city, in thecounty of New York, and State of NewYork, this 19th day of August, A. D. 1919. s

CHARLES DAVID WILLIAMS.

